Geoff Pain
Rural Member
Managed to get the car today,so took the good lady to work then headed for the East coast and Bempton Cliffs.First bird on arriving,Tree Sparrow a year tick and that was before I'd got out of the car.The weather was glorious so no need for a coat,so equipment gathered up I headed for the cliffs.As I walked down the path to to cliffs Linnet and Dunnock were in the bushes and a Sedge Warbler was located in a bunch of brambles.The sea and cliffs were alive with birds,all the usual,Gannet,Kittiwake(including one with the paler legs,see photo)Puffin,Fulmar,Razorbill,Guillemot,Herring Gull and Rock Dove.Suprisingly I never saw a Cormorant or a Shag during my trip.I decided to head North in the direction of the cattle field with the buildings in it.Skylark were singing and Swallows were flying about,plenty of flies about for them.On one of the concrete posts I located a female Wheatear,whilst from the buildings a Blackbird flew up as I got my binns on it it turned out not to be any old Blackbird but a spanking Male Ring Ouzel which flew straight past me and over the edge of the cliff and out of sight.A walk back to the southern end to view the Gannetry produced Meadow Pipit,Pied Wagtail,Kestrel,Lapwing and House Martin.after a spot of lunch it was time to view the Dell but it was a bit quiete only adding Great Tit,Chaffinch and Whitethroat to the list.Still not a bad day as someone once mentioned before its not the number of species at this site but the sheer number of birds thats so spectacular.It was begining to get busy now so it was time to head for home and pick the wife up from work(my good deed for the day).Saw 30 species of bird of which 8 were year ticks so not a bad day. :t:
